The 5 Most Annoying Things About Using Yelp

It's not all fun reviews and games.

There is no doubt that everyone’s favorite dining database, Yelp, is a great resource for finding our next favorite spot. However, at times it feels like every user (and feature) on Yelp are out to make our search for the next great taco even harder.

Whether it’s an angry, badly-written review or out-of-date photography, sometimes using Yelp can be more frustrating than helpful. In the spirit of good fun, below are the most irritating things about using Yelp.

5. Inaccurate search function.

by far people’s biggest beef with Yelp seems to be due to its sometimes questionable search algorithm. This of course typically happens when you’re hurriedly searching for the nearest “bottomless brunch,” but get completely off-base results aren’t always accurate. Recognizing that perfecting search is very hard — not everyone is Google, just look at Facebook’s struggle with surfacing relevant results in its search in recent years — this is still frustrating.

Now what?

4. Unreliable business hours.

Ever walked up to a laundromat that Yelp told you was open late, and as you walk up to the door realize it’s closed? Join the club. Among the most irritating aspects of using Yelp is its lack of up-to-date business hours. While national holidays are understandably an exception, updating a place’s hours of operation for Yelp users shouldn’t be too much to ask for. The hours at restaurants change all the time; it’s the nature of the restaurant business or any small business, but it can’t be said enough: call the restaurant before you leave.

3. Blurry photos.

Is that a pulled pork or brisket sandwich? Who can tell with these low resolution photos. Because Yelp is known for its user-generated reviews — a great feature for those looking for unbiased opinions — often-time the included photos are dimly-lit and blurry. We’re not asking for professional photography here, but a quality filter to push the best photos to the top would be useful.

2. Those awful videos, too.

While we’re at it, does anyone actually watch these? Sure, the idea of watching b-roll of a restaurant before visiting may seem nifty in theory, most uploaded Yelp videos tend to be of terrible, shaky quality. Not to mention, pretty awkward to watch at a street corner while deciding on a place to eat.

1. Creative, yet useless reviews.

Ah yes, the overly-enthusiastic reviewer. Writing all of your reviews to the tune of love ballads may seem like a fun hobby, it often leads to frustrating scrolling through reviews without much useful info on the actual dining experience. They may be fun to post, but not everyone has the time (or patience) to read an 800-word monologue about French toast while trying to decide on a brunch place.